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Leonardo DiCaprio Plays a Former TV Star in Tarantino's 1969 Movie

Leonardo DiCaprio plays a former TV star who failed to transition to movies in Quentin Tarantino's 1969 project. Just last week it was reported that DiCaprio had signed on for Tarantino's new film, set during the days of the Manson Family murders. The director reportedly also wants Margot Robbie in the role of Charles Manson victim Sharon Tate. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are also circling roles in the film.

Details on Tarantino's new film, his ninth movie overall, were first reported last year. Initially, it was thought that the film would center on the Manson Family killings. However, Tarantino later clarified that though Manson figures into the movie, he is not at the center of the story. Sony took on the project after a bidding war against every house in town, except for Disney.

Mike Fleming of Deadline now gives new details on Leonardo DiCaprio's role in Tarantino's untitled film. First reports had DiCaprio playing "an aging actor." Now the backstory on the character gets a little more fleshing out:

What he plays, more specifically, is an actor who had his own Western show, Bounty Law, that ran on the air from 1958 to 1963. His attempt to transition to movies didn’t work out and in 1969 — the film is set at the height of hippy Hollywood movement– he’s guesting on other people’s shows while contemplating going to Italy which has become a hotbed for low-budget Westerns.

Fleming re-iterates that Tarantino continues to pursue Robbie to play Sharon Tate in the movie. Cruise also remains in the running for a role.

Tarantino truly wants to stack his ninth movie with as many big-name actors as possible. Tarantino has of course assembled some star-studded casts before. DiCaprio himself appeared in the director's Django Unchained, alongside fellow Oscar-winners Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz. Tarantino also loves bringing back older actors who have faded from the spotlight. The director's first notable "reclamation" job came when he cast John Travolta in Pulp Fiction. Later he "resurrected" Robert Forster and Pam Grier by casting them in the leads of Jackie Brown. DiCaprio needs no such career rehab after finally scoring an Oscar with his role in The Revenant. Perhaps the Manson role will go to some faded former star hoping to benefit from the Tarantino touch.

In addition to his 1969 movie, Tarantino is also developing a Star Trek film for Paramount. The Revenant writer Mark L. Smith will pen the movie's script. Several former Star Trek actors, including Patrick Stewart himself, have expressed interest in jumping aboard Tarantino's take on Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi universe. Actors can't wait to line up and grab a role when Tarantino announces a new movie.